Cycling more expensive per mile than driving?

[Punkawallah]

But if you have everything set up and in place, the routine is this:

1. Turn slow cooker on.
1a. Go and do something else for at least an hour
2. Take chain off bike. 1 minute.
3. Thread chain onto swisher (coat hanger, mudguard stay, whatever). 1 minute max
4. Lower chain into wax. 5 seconds
4a. Go and do something else for 10 minutes.
5. Swish chain about. 30 seconds.
6. Lift chain out of wax, hang to cool. 10 seconds.
6a. Go and do something else for a few minutes (though it cooled way faster than I imagined)
7. Break up chain by hand and/or over something - a length of broom handle in the jaws of my bike stand, in my case. 2 minutes max.
8. Fit chain back on bike. 1 minute.

Even some of those times are too generous. And if you have a couple of tricks, they become faster. I use a short length of coat hanger bent into a very wide but short "U" to hold the chain so I'm not pulling against the derailleur spring.

But time spent on it (as opposed to time from start to finish) was no more than five or six minutes. I was amazed how quickly it went, considering it's my first time. The preparation and practice helped, obviously.

If that was part of a business, where the "waxing station" was all set up and ready there is no way it would take an hour of somebody's time.

Yeah. My FLBS charges the same to replace a bike chain, regardless of how quick or slow the job actually goes. Same for replacing a tyre etc - part of the cost would be time, the rest would be sundries. Not the least of which would be the price of not doing the job yourself.
I’d imagine the charge for waxing a chain would be similar, but like having your legs waxed, I have no experience of it.

 

[Electric_Andy]

The idea of waxing a chain is a bit like washing your car. You could say that washing your car with the top end snow foam etc costs you £30/month. But you can do the same with a drop of own brand w/u liquid. Horses for courses, but it's not a "cost", it's merely a more expensive preference.

For context, I commuted my EPAC Wisper for a solid year, rain and shine, and also used it for pleasure. I only ever cleaned the chain with some GT85 and gave it a wipe, probably not as often as I should have. After 2500+ miles, I sold it with a perfect looking chain

 

[scotsbikester]

Yeah. My FLBS charges the same to replace a bike chain, regardless of how quick or slow the job actually goes. Same for replacing a tyre etc - part of the cost would be time, the rest would be sundries. Not the least of which would be the price of not doing the job yourself.
I’d imagine the charge for waxing a chain would be similar, but like having your legs waxed, I have no experience of it.

Yes, running a business with all the fixed cost overheads is a different thing to doing it oneself, obviously. I wasn't saying that anybody who charges £30 to wax a chain is some sort of charlatan. Just that it doesn't take an hour of actual staff time.

 

[Profpointy]

It does occur to me that taking a bike to a bike shop for them to oil a chain and fetching it back afterwards is surely going to take longer than simply doing it yourself.

 

[PedallingNowhereSlowly]

FWITW, I tend to batch it up.
The two bikes with immersively waxed chains have four chains on rotation. When the fourth chain goes on, the six 'dirty' chains get re-waxed.

Those bikes are so much easier to keep clean relative to the drip lubed bikes. And I have no qualms about bringing them into the house in the event they need fettling and the weather's not onside.

 

[rydabent]

Looking at the big picture, cyclist could deduct the cost of health care, for all the times their fitness prevent visits to the hospital.

 

[Webbo2]

Yes, running a business with all the fixed cost overheads is a different thing to doing it oneself, obviously. I wasn't saying that anybody who charges £30 to wax a chain is some sort of charlatan. Just that it doesn't take an hour of actual staff time.

Cyclowax the company that sell the waxing kits charge £82 for pre waxed Ultegra 12 speed chain and £101 for Dura Ace 12 speed chain😱

 

[Webbo2]

Cyclowax the company that sell the waxing kits charge £82 for pre waxed Ultegra 12 speed chain and £101 for Dura Ace 12 speed chain😱

So I just had a look on Sigma sports site and they are selling Ultegra chains for £25. These are in the sale but I imagine they are not making a loss at that price. So Cyclowax are charging over £50 for cleaning and waxing a chain.

 

[scotsbikester]

Cyclowax the company that sell the waxing kits charge £82 for pre waxed Ultegra 12 speed chain and £101 for Dura Ace 12 speed chain😱

And?

 

[scotsbikester]

So I just had a look on Sigma sports site and they are selling Ultegra chains for £25. These are in the sale but I imagine they are not making a loss at that price. So Cyclowax are charging over £50 for cleaning and waxing a chain.

So you'll probably be better off buying the kit and doing it yourself, if you don't want to pay somebody else to do it for you.

I paid £11 for my slow cooker and £24 for the wax. I did pay £12 above the price of a new chain to get the seller to de-grease it for me. The next chain I think I'll degrease myelf. From now on each re-wax will cost about 30pence in wax.

This is assuming that you are actually interested in waxing your own chains. You are, aren't you?

 

[scotsbikester]

FWITW, I tend to batch it up.
The two bikes with immersively waxed chains have four chains on rotation. When the fourth chain goes on, the six 'dirty' chains get re-waxed.

Those bikes are so much easier to keep clean relative to the drip lubed bikes. And I have no qualms about bringing them into the house in the event they need fettling and the weather's not onside.

Yes, cleanliness is almost entirely the reason I'm doing this. I've only done 37 miles, on dry clean tarmac, so far. But loving how clean the drive train is. Inspired to keep the rest of the bike clean now too. In the past I always thought, "what's the point, the chain and cassette will be filthy anyway".

 

[Webbo2]

So you'll probably be better off buying the kit and doing it yourself, if you don't want to pay somebody else to do it for you.

I paid £11 for my slow cooker and £24 for the wax. I did pay £12 above the price of a new chain to get the seller to de-grease it for me. The next chain I think I'll degrease myelf. From now on each re-wax will cost about 30pence in wax.

This is assuming that you are actually interested in waxing your own chains. You are, aren't you?

I am interested but where to have the waxing machine and chains while doing all this could be a problem. Especially if I’m using “ a slow cooker” is something you use on kitchen stove?

 

[Milzy]

People were waxing 50 years ago. Been there & done it. Silca secret lube gives the waxed feel with no hassle.

 

[Gwylan]

Ice got a belt. I wash it occasionally and manage the tension.
This one has done over 10k km.
Got a cheapo spare for £50

Does this compare with waxing and all that stuff

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Yes, cleanliness is almost entirely the reason I'm doing this. I've only done 37 miles, on dry clean tarmac, so far. But loving how clean the drive train is. Inspired to keep the rest of the bike clean now too. In the past I always thought, "what's the point, the chain and cassette will be filthy anyway".

Most dirty chains are simply people putting too much oil on a chain. A single drop per roller, and wipe the outside after a few spins and you are golden. The oil does its job inside the roller, not outside.